Representatives of the Police Welfare Association, the Saint Lucia Fire Service Association, and the Saint Lucia Correctional Service Welfare Association met Wednesday to advance plans to form an umbrella Protective Services Federation.
The associations hope to formalise the Federation early next year to make representation for their members.
Police Welfare Association (PWA) President Camron Laure said Wednesday’s talks built on extensive past discussions.
He said a draft constitution for the proposed Federation already exists.
In addition, Laure explained that an existing Protective Services Compensation Act recognises the three services.
“Essentially, we concluded at that meeting that we need to reach out to our parent Ministries to discuss the formalisation and recognition of the Protective Services Federation ,” the PWA President said.
He said the three associations would write to the Ministries by next week.
He told St. Lucia Times that Wednesday’s meeting discussed job safety, negotiations with the government, issues common to the three associations, and mental health.
Laure said mental health was a significant concern due to the dynamics of working in the protective services, including exposure to traumatic situations.
“We have recognised of late that we have members who suffer in silence,” he revealed.
Laure said that, as a result, psychotherapy intervention became necessary.
He acknowledged the government’s employee assistance programme for which the protective services are grateful.
However, he said members believed it was inadequate.
During Wednesday’s meeting, participants learned that the Saint Lucia Fire Service was working to get a psychotherapist assigned to them.
Laure told St. Lucia Times that the PWA and the Saint Lucia Correctional Service Welfare Association wanted the same.
“These are some of the common issues and we don’t think what exists now, in as much as we appreciate it, it is not enough for the protective services,” he declared.
“We are looking forward to ensuring that we have a system that is adequate for the protective services so when it is recognised that a member is at a point where he needs that type of intervention, it is readily available,” the PWA official explained.
He described mental health as a ‘sore point’ among the three protective services associations.
